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This baked cream cheese pasta recipe is going to become a favorite weeknight recipe for you – it’s easy to make, creamy, flavorful, and sure to satisfy! Especially if you like the flavors of cream cheese and cherry tomatoes!
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Do you know Baked Feta Pasta? The viral TikTok trend with a block of feta cheese, tomatoes, and pasta! This recipe is super similar, but is made with cream cheese instead of feta cheese. Plus, it can easily be modified into a vegan dish.
To make this baked cream cheese pasta recipe, bake cream cheese and cherry tomatoes in the oven for 30 minutes until the cherry tomatoes are soft and slightly sweet, and the cream cheese is buttery and creamy. Then, stir in the pasta of your choice, and your delicious pasta dish is ready to be devoured.
Cream Cheese Pasta Bake can be served for lunch or dinner. It makes an outstanding family meal, but is also meant to be a date night favorite. Extra creamy, extra juicy, and so flavorful!
Conveniently, this pasta recipe hardly gives you any work. While the cream cheese sauce is simmering in the oven, all you have to do is cook the pasta al dente. That gives you plenty of time to prepare a green side salad.
Before serving, I love to mix in some reserved pasta water, so you can stretch the “sauce” without using more ingredients – this also prevents the pasta dish from getting too dry once served.
🍝 Ingredients
See recipe card for quantities.
- Pasta → Bow Tie Pasta, Penne, Rigatoni, Spaghetti, or pasta of your choice. For gluten-free Baked Cream Cheese Pasta, use a gluten-free type of pasta (e.g. from Barilla). Feel free to use whole wheat or spelt pasta, these satiate a little longer.
- Cream Cheese → Makes for an extra creamy sauce!
- Cherry Tomatoes or Grape Tomatoes → Gives this pasta dish a lot of juice and flavor!
- Shallot & Garlic → Provides a little more flavor. Shallot can be replaced with a small yellow or red onion.
- Olive Oil → For roasting!
- Red Pepper Flakes→ Can be omitted.
- Dried Italian Herbs → A mix of dried herbs for a great flavor. Either use a pre-made mix, or mix some dried thyme, basil, sage, oregano, and rosemary yourself.
- Salt & Black Pepper → To taste!
Vegan Baked Cream Cheese Pasta: Replace cream cheese with a dairy-free cream cheese alternative. I recommend using one based on almonds!
Hint: Cream cheese is often slightly acidic. If you don’t like this, you can soften the sour note somewhat by adding a pinch of sugar.
Variations: Add some fresh spinach, parmesan cheese, or a protein of your choice before serving.
👩🍳 Visual Step-by-Step Instructions
This visual step-by-step instruction will help you along the way – definitely recommended if you’re a cooking beginner! 😉
- Preheat oven to 390°F (200°C).
- Place cherry tomatoes, minced shallot, and garlic together with the olive oil, dried herbs, a pinch of red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in a baking dish or casserole. Toss well to combine.
- Place cream cheese in the middle of the baking dish and bake for 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salt water until al dente. Keep 4 tablespoons of pasta cooking water aside. Drain over a sieve.
- Add the cooked pasta to the baking dish and toss well. → Hint: If the sauce is too thick for your liking, mix in the reserved 4 tablespoons of pasta water.
- Sprinkle with fresh basil before serving!
Storage & Reheating Instructions
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to 3 days.
Reheat the whole dish, or a portion of it, in a microwave-safe container in the microwave or in a frying pan with some water!
More Vegetarian Recipe Ideas
- Pasta with Zucchini & Tomatoes
- Creamy Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Whipped Feta Dip with Roasted Tomatoes
- Pasta Primavera
If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below.
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📖 Recipe
Baked Cream Cheese Pasta
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Ingredients
- 7 oz (200 g) pasta of choice
- 7 oz (200 g) cream cheese
- 2 ¼ cups (300 g) cherry tomatoes
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 shallot minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
- a pinch red pepper flakes optional
- salt & pepper to taste
- some fresh basil chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 390°F (200°C).
- Place cherry tomatoes, minced shallot, and garlic together with the olive oil, dried herbs, a pinch of red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in a baking dish or casserole. Toss well to combine.
- Place cream cheese in the middle of the baking dish and bake for 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salt water until al dente. Keep 4 tablespoons of pasta cooking water aside. Drain over a sieve.
- Add the cooked pasta to the baking dish and toss well. → Hint: If the sauce is too thick for your liking, mix in the reserved 4 tablespoons of pasta water.
- Sprinkle with fresh basil before serving!
Notes
- Keeps fresh for 3 days. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Gluten-Free: Regular pasta can be replaced with gluten-free pasta.
- Vegan: Use a vegan cream cheese alternative (I recommend one made with almonds).